U.S. patent application number 11/358366 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-28 for footwear covering apparatus.
Invention is credited to James C. Blanchard.
Application Number | 20060212997 11/358366 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37033698 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060212997 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blanchard; James C. |
September 28, 2006 |
Footwear covering apparatus
Abstract
A covering apparatus includes a body having a closed first end
and an open second end defining an opening, the body being sized to
fit over human footwear. The body is disposable and is operable to
prevent contaminants of the wearer from exiting the body after
being donned on the footwear.
Inventors: |
Blanchard; James C.;
(Hillsdale, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BUTZEL LONG;DOCKETING DEPARTMENT
100 BLOOMFIELD HILLS PARKWAY
SUITE 200
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48304
US
|
Family ID: |
37033698 |
Appl. No.: |
11/358366 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60659458 |
Mar 8, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 2400/52 20130101;
A41B 11/00 20130101; A41B 2500/52 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/239 |
International
Class: |
A41B 11/00 20060101
A41B011/00 |
Claims
1. A covering apparatus for use on human footwear comprising: an
elongated tubular body having a closed first end and an open second
end defining an opening, said body being sized to fit over a human
footwear, said body being disposable and operable to prevent
contaminants from exiting said body after being donned on the
footwear.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
in a shape of one of a fitted sock and a tube sock.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is
sterile.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
of a colored material.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
of a rubber latex material.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
of a one of a nitrile material, a neoprene material, a
polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) material, a polyurethane material and a
styrene butadiene material.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
with a wall thickness in a range of 0.006 inches to 0.012
inches.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
with a wall thickness in a range of 7 mil to 9 mil.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wall thickness
of said body decreases from said first closed end to said second
open end.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed
with a textured exterior surface.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a lubricating
material on an interior surface of said body.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said lubricating
material is a one of corn starch and baking soda.
13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is
scented.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a ring roll or
bead formed on said body at said second open end.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is sized
to cover a human boot.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body is sized
to cover the footwear and a portion of a leg of a human wearing the
footwear.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body includes a
secondary tread layer adjacent said first closed end.
18. A covering apparatus for use on human footwear comprising: an
elongated tubular body having a closed first end and an open second
end defining an opening, said body being formed of a natural latex
rubber material and sized to fit over a human footwear, said body
being operable to prevent a scent from exiting said body after
being donned on the footwear.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a lubricating
material on an interior surface of said body.
20. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a ring roll or
bead formed on said body at said second open end.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from the provisional
application Ser. No. 60/659,458 filed on Mar. 8, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for
masking and/or providing scents on hunter's clothing and, in
particular, to a footwear covering apparatus for masking scents on
the footwear and, optionally, providing desirable scents.
[0003] Various prior art footwear coverings are shown in the
following U.S. patents: [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,008 entitled
"Footwear Device for Hunters". [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,418
entitled "Footwear Device for Reducing Walking Related Noise".
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,804 entitled "Scent Dispenser". [0007]
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,324 entitled "Footwear System for Hunting".
[0008] Most big game hunters, especially archery hunters who
actively pursue whitetail deer via tree stands and ground blinds,
have witnessed the superior olfactory senses of deer, elk, bear,
etc. Hundreds if not thousands of products are on the market today
to aid hunters by disguising or covering up the human and/or
foreign scent that is so alarming to these animals. Cover and/or
scent eliminating sprays, carbon scent-control clothing (face
masks, gloves, jackets, pants, coveralls . . . ), scentless soaps,
shampoos, laundry detergents, sanitary wipes, etc., are all
designed to help get serious hunters closer to their quarry. These
products are enjoying great popularity as more and more hunters
realize the value of scent management in successful big game
hunting.
[0009] Regarding footwear and the scent path a hunter leaves while
traveling to and from a hunting stand, the most accepted
"scent-free" material for boots has been rubber. Rubber tends to be
less absorbent than leather or Cordura (a registered trademark
owned by Invista North America S.A.R.L. Corporation of Wilmington,
Del.) when it comes in contact with various odors. However, rubber
boots, under real field conditions, are far from the perfect
solution to masking a foot path. Scents may be removed from rubber
boots by sterilization, such as by boiling or the like, but this is
an impractical solution, as often hunting boots are worn not only
for hunting but other activities which may involve the inadvertent
acquisition of an undesirable scent.
[0010] It is desirable to provide an apparatus for masking and/or
providing scents on hunter's clothing and, in particular, to a
footwear covering apparatus for masking scents on the footwear and,
optionally, providing desirable scents. It is also desirable to
provide a footwear covering apparatus that is economical to produce
and, optionally, is disposable and/or able to be sterilized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention concerns a footwear covering apparatus
that includes a body having a closed first end and an open second
end defining an opening, the body being sized to fit over a foot
covering of a user's body. The body is disposable and is operable
to prevent contaminants from exiting the body after being donned on
the foot covering.
[0012] The apparatus in accordance with the present invention
provides an affordable and effective way to address the problem of
scent detection by a hunter's prey while also providing uses in
other applications and industries.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The above, as well as other advantages of the present
invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art
from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment
when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a footwear covering in
accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of an alternative embodiment of
a footwear covering in accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the second ends of
the footwear covings shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a "ring roll" or
"bead"; and
[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in
FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] The U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/659,458, filed on
Mar. 8, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1, a footwear covering apparatus in
accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at 10.
The covering 10 includes a generally tubular body 12 having a
closed and preferably rounded first end 14 and an open second end
16 having an opening 18 for receiving an article of footwear (not
shown) such as a boot of the type worn by a human. The covering 10
is formed in the general shape of a fitted sock wherein the body 12
is seamless having a substantially uniform width and is angled to
have a foot/ankle contour.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 2, an alternative embodiment of a
footwear covering apparatus in accordance with the present
invention is indicated generally at 20. The covering 20 includes a
generally tubular body 22 having a closed and preferably rounded
first end 24 and an open second end 26 having an opening 28 for
receiving an article of footwear (not shown) such as a boot of the
type worn by a human. The covering 20 is formed in the shape of a
tube sock wherein the body 22 is seamless having a substantially
uniform width and is substantially straight from the first end 24
to the second end 26.
[0021] The covering 10 or 20 is preferably sized to fit over a
wearer's footwear, such as hunting boots, work boots or the like.
Alternatively, the covering 10 or 20 is sized to fit over a
wearer's socks or bare feet. The length and width of the body 12 or
22, therefore, may be chosen to fit over a wide variety of shoes,
boots, or the like, and to cover a user's legs from the toe to the
ankle or up to the knee, depending on the amount of scent
protection desired by the user. For example, some users may only
want coverage to the ankle level, while others may prefer coverage
closer to the knee level.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the opening 18, 28 at the second end 16,
26 includes "ring roll" or "bead" 30 that facilitates donning and
offers additional strength at the stress area of the cover when
donning. The manufacturing of the opening 18, 28 at the second end
16, 26 with the bead 30 is also easily done, as this process
parameter is used regularly in the glove and condom industry,
discussed in more detail below.
[0023] The body 12 or 22 is preferably formed from a natural rubber
latex material, which possess favorable characteristics in terms of
fit and function. Natural rubber latex as a raw material source is
advantageously readily available in the US and around the globe.
However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other
non-latex polymers such as nitrile, neoprene, polyvinyl-chloride
(PVC), polyurethane and styrene butadiene may also be utilized. The
preference of natural rubber latex material is attributed to
optimal stretch and strength features, as natural rubber latex has
typical ultimate elongation rating of 750% or more before aging and
720% or more after aging and a tensile strength before aging of 20
MPa and 18 MPa after aging.
[0024] Best seen in FIG. 4, the body 12 is shown in cross section
and defines a wall thickness 32, indicated by arrows. Similarly,
the body 22 defines a wall thickness (not shown) and the thickness
of the bodies 12 and 22 will be described using the reference
numeral 32. The wall thickness 32 of the body 12 or 22 will be
appropriate to offer durable features of cut and abrasion
resistance, yet maintain its "skin" appearance and feel. It is
anticipated that the wall thickness 32 of the bodies 12 and 22
would range anywhere from 0.006 inches to 0.012 inches, which
compares to high risk latex gloves, which require extra thickness
for rugged duty. A preferred range of the wall thickness 32 is
0.007 inches to 0.009 inches.
[0025] Because natural rubber latex can be easily dyed, making the
bodies 12 and 22 from natural rubber latex also enables the use of
a wide range of colors, which can include, for example, fluorescent
or highly visible colors for safety in brush and woods, or other
colors, depending on the type of anticipated use.
[0026] The covering 10 or 20 will not likely require sterilization,
as in surgical gloves. The typical reason for sterilizing gloves is
to kill bacteria. Should sterilization add any value to the
performance of the foot covering 10 or 20, natural rubber latex is
compatible with gamma ray irradiation techniques, which would not
add significant cost to the process. Regardless of the material
used, the body 12 or 22 can be manufactured in both a sterilized
version and a non-sterilized version. The sterilized version is
advantageous for hunters to help eliminate scents in their tracks.
When applied properly (i.e. with clean hands and on
non-contaminated ground), the sterilized covering 10 or 20 will
prevent undesirable scents and odors from being left on foot paths
taken by hunters in and out of the field.
[0027] The covering 10 or 20 can be packaged with the material of
the body 12 or 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or gathered or rolled
toward the closed end 14 or 24, or in any other suitable manner.
The covering 10 or 20 may then be donned by stretching the opening
18 or 28 and gathered material, the toe of the shoe or boot (not
shown) can be inserted into the opening 18 or 28 and tight against
the closed end 14 or 24 of the covering 10 or 20. The material of
the body 12 or 22 is then slowly released and stretched up and over
the footwear until the desired level above the ankle is reached.
Preferably, care should be taken as to maintain a tight fit
throughout the stretching process. Once the covering 10 or 20 has
been donned, it advantageously prevents scents on the footwear from
exiting the body 12 or 22. After use, the covering 10 or 20 may be
advantageously discarded.
[0028] A light powder lubricant (not shown), such as but not
limited to, corn starch, or the like may be provided on the
interior surface of the body 12 or 22 to make donning the covering
10 or 20 easier. The light powder typically employed for donning is
made from USDA consumable corn starch talc (only for non-medical
products), or alternatively, the light powder is baking soda. If
powder-free, the covering 10 or 20 is subjected to post dip machine
chlorination procedures, known to those skilled in the art, which
modifies the surface texture of natural rubber latex for lubricity
purposes.
[0029] The covering 10 or 20 in accordance with the present
invention is preferably manufactured by a dip molding process that
is well known to those skilled in the art. Dip molding involves the
lowering of a form or mandrel (not shown) into a polymer bath (not
shown), attracting a thin liquid film deposition onto the form
after raising the form or mandrel from the bath. The film is dried
for subsequent removal from the form, after which the form or
mandrel returns to the start of the process. This process is
commonly used in the manufacturing of both examination gloves and
condoms. Advantageously, when natural rubber latex is dip molded,
the latex tends to settle at the bottom of the form when it is
raised from the dipping tank to dry, which tends to yield slightly
more latex material to the foot area of the covering 10 or 20
proximate the first end 14 or 24, adding the benefit of greater
wall thickness 32 and, therefore, greater material strength on the
sole where contact is made with the walking surface, where the
greatest amount of material strength is desirable. No special or
costly manufacturing considerations would be required to
manufacture this covering 10 or 20, compared to other mature
products in the latex dip molding industry. After dip molding has
occurred, it is anticipated that the wall thickness 32 of the
covering 10 or 20 would average about 0.006 inches at the second
end 16 or 26, about 0.011 inches in the middle portion between the
first end 14 and the second end 16 or the first end 24 and the
second end 26, and about 0.013 inches at the closed lower end 14 or
24.
[0030] The dip molding process is proven technology and offers many
potential manufacturing sources and would likely employ would be
"batch" processing technique, well known to those skilled in the
art.
[0031] Dip molding also lends itself to the addition of overdips
and secondary layers that sometimes proves beneficial for certain
products. For this covering 10 or 20, a secondary "tread" layer for
the sole of the covering 10 or 20 is feasible if desired, to
reinforce the area that typically needs the most protection from
possible punctures. In addition, size of the covering 10 or 20 can
vary as desired with no difficulty or challenge to manufacturing
processes for natural rubber latex dip molding. A secondary
covering 15 is shown on the covering 10 in FIG. 1 adjacent to the
closed end 14.
[0032] In addition, the covering 10 or 20 can be provided in both a
non-textured and textured version, depending on the type of form
used in the dipping process. Smooth forms will yield a smooth
finish on the exterior surface of the covering 10 or 20 while
textured forms including, but not limited to, raised patterns, deer
prints, horns, company logos, and the like, will yield a textured
finish 25 as shown in FIG. 2 on the exterior surface of the
covering 20.
[0033] The covering 10 or 20 can be offered with or without scent.
While the anticipated use of the covering 10 or 20 is to help
eliminate scent or be "scent-less" in nature, many hunters prefer
to use cover or masking scents. A scented version of the covering
10 or 20 can be accomplished through a process whereby various
artificial scents, for example, but not limited to, acorn,
evergreen, earth, apple, and sage are micro-encapsulated directly
into the rubber latex (referred to in the industry as "latiscent").
This is accomplished at the manufacturing plant by adding scenting
agents to the latex dip tank during processing.
[0034] While the covering 10 or 20 in accordance with the present
invention has been described in the context of masking scents and
the like for hunters, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
the apparatus may be utilized in many fields including, but not
limited to, hospital workers, construction workers, painters, and
the like where it is desirable to not contaminate or soil walking
surfaces. For example, with hospital workers, the covering 10 or 20
could be utilized in place of or in addition to the blue cloth
footwear covers. The covering 10 or 20 could be offered in various
colors to coordinate with scrubs and/or examination gloves, sized
to cover shoes opposed to boots, and would offer several advantages
such as `one size fits all`, ease of disposal, increased traction
on tile surfaces, more efficient packaging, as well as the
advantages of a sterile covering 10 or 20. In the construction
field, the covering 10 or 20 could be donned by construction
workers as they enter the "inside" of a construction site, keeping
mud, dirt and debris from soiling and damaging interior floors and
carpet. The covering 10 or 20 could be utilized by many painters to
protect footwear and for homeowners and in gardening or lawn care,
the covering 10 or 20 can be also used to keep mud, dirt and grass
off of footwear.
[0035] Natural rubber latex has been a stellar performer for years
for barrier type products such as gloves, swim caps, cast covers,
condoms, dental dam, etc. The manufacturing processes for natural
rubber latex include dip molding and cast sheet, which are mature
ones. In addition, natural rubber latex is the best film of all
types of lattices, whereby the covering 10 or 20 can be rolled up
easily for flat packaging. An example of this is that of latex
condoms, which are rolled until flat for compact packaging.
[0036] The covering 10 or 20 can be made as one time use
disposable, and still be priced affordably. This simplifies
covering 10 or 20 effectiveness, as it is beneficial to keep human
touch away from the covering 10 or 20 as much as possible. This
optimizes effectiveness against wild game such as deer and bear
from detecting human scent.
[0037] The covering 10 or 20 in accordance with the present
invention provides many advantages including a "one size fits all"
covering 10 or 20, ease of disposal, increased traction on tile or
other slippery or skid-prone surfaces, more efficient packaging,
and a covering 10 or 20 that may be manufactured as 100%
sterile.
[0038] The use of natural rubber latex poses no significant threat
to latex sensitive individuals, given the location and use of the
covering 10 or 20. No long term contact with human skin is present,
and only during donning does skin contact with the latex ever
occur. Latex sensitive individuals could apply the covering 10 or
20 by first, for example, donning a pair of synthetic latex gloves,
if necessary.
[0039] Natural rubber latex products are very form fitting. The
coverings 10 or 20 will, when stretched to its desired location,
generally stay is place well and advantageously do not sag or drop,
as with other stiffer polymers such as polyurethane, vinyl, and
polyethylene.
[0040] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes,
the present invention has been described in what is considered to
represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted
that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically
illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or
scope.
* * * * *